


Close Your Eyes (and Count to Five)

by captainpororo



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Best Friends, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-11
Updated: 2017-12-23
Packaged: 2019-02-13 11:53:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12983517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/captainpororo/pseuds/captainpororo
Summary: Kyungsoo dislikes complicated things. Baekhyun is one hell of a complicated person.Naturally, Kyungsoo should dislike Baekhyun.Except, he doesn’t. Not really.





	1. You Infuriate Me

**Author's Note:**

> The title is from CBX's King and Queen, I just snagged it because I lack creativity in giving titles.  
> This work is crossposted in AFF and was based on real events. There's a story in AFF entitled I'll Sing For You, and it occurs on the same AU as this one. My friend who also witnessed these events wrote it, and you can totally go and check it out if you like.
> 
> Enjoy!

**From:  dickbutt**

SOOOO! Let’s study together after class!

 

**To: dickbutt**

No, go away

**From: dickbutt**

Well, you don’t have a choice because I already asked your mom and she said yes~

 

Kyungsoo is annoyed.

No, scratch that. Kyungsoo is two seconds away from strangling a certain someone.

He slowly walks to the cafeteria, hoping to whichever deity is on duty would hear his unspoken prayer.

_Just a day of peace and quiet, I beg you._

 

He barely gets to take a seat somewhere secluded, before an animalistic shriek interrupts his trip to Nirvana.

“KYUNGSOOOOOOOO!” A booming voice with the fury of a couple hundred decibels approaches, and the young man slowly wishes he was an opossum so he can play dead.

When an arm wraps around his shoulder and a weight fills the empty chair beside him, the small man closes his eyes and prays for his death.

When he opens them and still sees a megawatt smile and a pair of crescent eyes, he surrenders.

 _Oh god, why._ Kyungsoo internally and externally groans.

 

Baekhyun and Kyungsoo were an unlikely pair. Where one of them was competitive and joined every school activity in existence, the other lacked the motivation to shower for three days straight. When one of them knows K-pop girl group songs by heart, the other can belt out emo songs and toothpaste commercial jingles. One of them will befriend you in a heartbeat, and the other will stare at you wordlessly, ‘creeping around like  a maniac’, or so Baekhyun said. Kyungsoo calls it ‘friendly hovering’.

The point is, Byun Baekhyun and Do Kyungsoo are polar opposites, and yet they’ve been best friends since who knows when, and both accepted the fact that they’re bound to be stuck together for life.

“No homo, of course.” Baekhyun used to add.

Kyungsoo often wonders why Baekhyun even bothers to hang out with him, when he has a wide library of friends he can run to at any time of the day, but everytime he confronts the other about this, Baekhyun will only say “no one can ever replace you, Soo,” and Kyungsoo always feels like he has his own lightning and thunder thrumming through his ribcage afterwards.

“So, we’re heading to my place later, okay?” Baekhyun hums, biting on another strawberry cupcake that Kyungsoo baked for him. So far, he’s eaten eight since he got here.

The younger only blows on his bangs and glares at his best friend. “Why, though? You know I don’t study, and we never end up studying when we’re together anyway,”

Baekhyun just leans on his shoulder, _the audacity of this boy_ , Kyungsoo frowns, but lets him anyway.

“What, I can’t spend quality time with my BFF now?” He whines like a baby, which, Kyungsoo discovered early in their friendship, is Baekhyun’s second nature. His first one is smiling his way into getting whatever he wants, like asking Kyungsoo to join the chorale with him, or the photography club, or the glee club, or basically everything he ends up asking Kyungsoo to do against his will.

“But why can’t you just makeout with Sujeong or whatever it is that heterosexuals couples do,” Kyungsoo hums,  absentmindedly reaching over and fluffing Baekhyun’s ash blonde hair. It’s grown a bit too long now, and the black roots are starting to sprout out. Kyungsoo likes it. Not that he’ll ever say it aloud, of course.

“Again, must I remind you that her name is SEjeong? SEJEONG, Kyungsoo.”

“Sejeong, Sujeong. Same difference. Whatever, so why aren’t you going to meet Sujeong again?”

Baekhyun starts to lean away, sitting upright and staring intently on a strawberry. He’s not exactly frowning, but there’s a beginning of a pout on his lips, and Kyungsoo is suddenly on high alert.

 

“What happened?”

Baekhyun slowly looks at him, a full pout now on his lips and sighs. “We fought again, she said I’m not putting enough effort into our relationship. She says I spend too much time with you,” he sighs.

Kyungsoo doesn’t know how to respond to that, especially now that his pulse is speeding up for no apparent reason. “Well,” he begins, “We’re just best friends anyway, she has nothing to worry about. What’s her deal?” He manages, throat running dry.

Baekhyun just hums, popping another strawberry into his mouth before he mutters something that suspiciously sounds like “I’d rather spend time with you than her anyway,” and Kyungsoo wants to slam his head onto the table.

They say nothing for some time, and Kyungsoo lets Baekhyun rest on him, hold him close and radiate off his body heat. He usually shields himself well, only showing Baekhyun an ounce of the affection that threatens to fill him to the brim. However, on days like these, when Baekhyun’s sad and miserable, Kyungsoo doesn’t stand a chance.

Later, when they’re both sprawled on their stomachs onto Baekhyun’s bed and both crouched into their Calculus book, Kyungsoo spaces out. He should’ve seen it coming, since anything with numbers usually has this effect on his brain, but currently, he’s even having a harder time with focusing on the assignment with Baekhyun pressed right beside him, and their legs intertwined into a mess of limbs. And if that wasn’t enough, the devil himself just snaked an arm around Kyungsoo’s waist.

 _What in the fresh hell? When did they get into this position again?_ He wonders.

Baekhyun is definitely going to be the death of Do Kyungsoo.

Before he mentally strategizes an escape plan, he chances a glance to his companion and finds the other’s eyes on him. Kyungsoo gulps, raising an eyebrow to taunt the other, but Baekhyun stares on unabashedly, as if trying to read something off Kyungsoo’s face. Of course, this makes Kyungsoo self-conscious, so he looks away and clears his throat.

“Stop looking at me, you creep. Do your assignment so I can copy it and go home.”

 

“Kyungsoo?” Baekhyun asks later, when they’ve both given up and decide to take a short nap which turned into a two hour long slumber.

He hears a shuffle of movement, and finds himself face to face with a barely awake Kyungsoo, face crumpled with sleepiness and hair all over his face.

“What?”

“Let’s get married,” Baekhyun says, tone calm, as if he was discussing a calculus problem and not wrecking Kyungsoo’s brain.

In that moment, time seems to stand still, and Do Kyungsoo feels more awake than he has ever felt from the moment he realized he actually really unexpectedly adores the bane of his existence, also called his best friend.

 _What should he say?_ Baekhyun always asks these things, even more so lately, where he actually flirts with Kyungsoo, rubbing himself onto the younger like a weird lovesick puppy and Kyungsoo just doesn’t understand. Straight people shouldn’t ask these things from their non-straigh best friends. People who are in a relationship shouldn’t look at someone the way Baekhyun’s looking at him right now, like he’s holding himself back from leaning in. Baekhyun often looks at him like that these days, and Kyungsoo pretends to be blind, or disgusted, just so he can keep himself sane.

The thing with these prodding questions from Baekhyun is that Kyungsoo thinks he’s actually asking something, with the way his eyes are expectant and hopefully, or the way his lips curl into a frown whenever Kyungsoo shoots him down.

Baekhyun asks, but Kyungsoo doesn’t want to answer. He doesn’t see the need to, when the endgame is always a closed door.

Eventually, he goes with his usual tactic, dismissive obliviousness.

“I’ve already made so many mistakes in this life, Byun. I don’t need to make another one,” he says, tone flat, but his heart is leaping, protesting.

 

Baekhyun pouts again, and it’s just as adorable as the one this morning, capable of making Kyungsoo melt into a pile of goo.

“It won’t be a mistake,” he manages to respond, barely a whisper.

For a moment, Kyungsoo allows himself to imagine the scenario, him in a tuxedo, awaiting his groom, and Baekhyun in a dashing white suit, marching down the aisle with a radiant smile and—nope. This is not good for Kyungsoo’s mental and emotional health. Baekhyun has a _girlfriend,_ for fuck’s sake.

“What makes you think we can walk down the aisle without strangling each other?”

Baekhyun laughs at this, no doubt imagining as well, and for a moment, Kyungsoo wonders what Baekhyun’s seeing in his thoughts, but before he can ask, Baekhyun’s eyes are fluttering, slowly losing the will to stay awake.

Kyungsoo waits, and before he knows it, the tiny mumbles and moans are back, signaling that the object of his unrequited affection is finally asleep again.

He stares at his best friend’s face, drinking in the smooth skin, the button nose, and the curve of his cupid’s bow, and he has to admit that Baekhyun really does look ethereal no matter what state he’s in, and Kyungsoo is so  so doomed because there’s no going back now.

“I think I’d marry you in a heartbeart,” he whispers, before sighing and slowly resigning himself into sleep, where hopefully his feelings aren’t one sided and miserable.

In his dream, Baekhyun kisses him, and everything is absolutely perfect.


	2. You Confuse Me

The sound of rain fills the June air, and the continuous pitter-pattering emanates from the roof.

Do Kyungsoo storms inside his room, slamming the door shut and leaning onto the wooden surface. The young man has his eyes closed, massaging his temples with his fingers.

 _It’s so damn tiring,_ Kyungsoo huffs, and throws himself onto his bed. The events of today keep repeating in his head like a broken record, aimed at completely destroying his brain.

The exhausted man sighs, as the sequence of events flash right before him, along with Baekhyun’s boxy smiles and melodious laughter as they fall together onto the inflatable pool, and with it, came flashbacks of an absolutely terrifying feeling -- the overwhelming desire to kiss the life out of his own best friend, right in front of the majority of the school population.

_What the actual fuck._

_Where did his feelings starts spiraling out of control?_ More often than not, Do Kyungsoo is the image of serenity and self-control when it comes to his unrequited affection for the single most abominable and loudmouthed person in the whole wide universe and other universes beyond.

Not two weeks ago, when he and Baekhyun were on their usual after school studying sessions, the blonde haired baboon of a boy asked Kyungsoo to marry him, and ever since then, it’s as if a screw in Kyungsoo’s tiny unstable brain has started getting more loose.

He ponders over the occurrences of the recent past, sighing deeply as he remembers just how hopeless he is.

 

Exhibit A:

Last week, on a rainy Thursday, he finds himself slamming _and_ pinning Byun freaking Baekhyun to a wall right in the bloody school cafeteria, when the elder decided to prank him by tying his shoelaces together when he fell asleep during their Calculus class that morning.

“I didn’t know you’re an exhibitionist, Soo,” Baekhyun whispers, smirking as  Kyungsoo’s face ghosts above his own, not even an inch of distance between them, and even the small space decreases by the second.

“Get a roooom!” Chanyeol hollers as he passes by, slapping Kyungsoo playfully in the back.

That gets Kyungsoo back to reality, face morphing into one of horror. He decides to settle the situation the only way he knows – by using brute force. He kicks Baekhyun in the shin and power walks out of the goddamn vicinity, hitting his own head as he mutters curses to himself.

 

Exhibit B:

The glee club has been invited to guest in the radio broadcasting club’s Friday special program. Both being part of the vocal strength of the club, Baekhyun and Kyungsoo are present on the said event, seated next to each other in the cramped recording room, and Baekhyun, as clingy as he usually is, latches on to Kyungsoo like a boa constrictor. The latter, after a couple of unsuccessful attempts to scold and get away from the puppy beside him, simply relents and tries to calm his own speeding heartbeat at the mere proximity of his beloved.

Everything seems to be flawless throughout the small interview session, until the radio jock asks all six members present about their motivation in singing, and Byun Baekhyun decides to answer first.

“Well, I’ve always loved singing,” he begins, laughing softly as he faces the DJ, who smiles indulgently at him, beckoning him to continue. “But these days, one of my main driving forces to be better...”

Kyungsoo sneaks a glance at his best friend, an amused smile on his lips as he notes the subtle display of bashfulness from the other, but stops in his tracks when his gaze meets one that already been settled onto him. Their eyes lock together, and Kyungsoo forgets how to breathe.

“…is this guy seating beside me,” Baekhyun finishes, patting Kyungsoo’s arm.

_What._

“Many people know this already, Kyungsoo and I have been best friends since forever, and seeing him practice hard inspires me to do better in singing. He has a really great voice too,” the blonde haired beauty goes on, but for Do Kyungsoo, all the words that follow are rubbish, because he can’t hear anything other than his own pulsing chest, screaming adoration and fondness, making him gulp nervously and fall into a daze.

_He inspires Baekhyun. He inspires Baekhyun. He is an actual inspiration to Byun Baekhyun. WHOA._

He only zones back into the moment when a slight pinch to this thigh makes him flinch and glare at the owner of the hand who has just  pinched him. Baekhyun’s smiling face greets him, and Kyungsoo has to ball his hands into a fist to stop himself from kissing those plump lips like crazy.

 _Focus, idiot,_ Baekhyun mouths at him, and Kyungsoo is a goner, because no way in fucking hell can he focus now.

The interview ends with a group picture, and afterwards, the DJ pulls Baekhyun and Kyungsoo aside, asking to take a picture of them that can be uploaded to the broadcasting club’s fanpage, since Baekhyun’s story about their friendship was _just so inspiring_ , and instructs them to pose naturally, symbolizing their close bond.

Baekhyun faces Kyungsoo, looking smug as fuck as he grins and plops down to a chair, motioning towards his lap. “Come sit here, Soo, so they’ll know just how close we _are,_ ” he beckons.

“Hell no,” Kyungsoo deadpans, choosing instead throw his hands over Baekhyun’s shoulder as the photographer gets ready. When the camera faces them, a wild idea hits Kyungsoo, and he finds himself twisting his arm over Baekhyun’s neck and trapping the other into a chokehold, which honestly, is a classic Baekhyun and Kyungsoo Pose™, for anyone who knows them. Feeling accomplished, he plasters a sly smile on his face, and lets Baekhyun raise two fingers, a small ‘v’ that he usually does when trying to act cute. The shutter clicks, and the photographer beams at them, pleased at the spontaneity.

“What was that for?” Baekhyun croaks out, as Kyungsoo pulls away, sporting his all-time favorite pout.

“That was me showing you my love, as your inspiration,” Kyungsoo teases, tugging on the elder’s sleeve as they bow to the broadcasting club members on their way out of the studio.

“Oh?” Baekhyun hums, “I didn’t know that you love _hard,_ Soo, please do show me more,” he snidely remarks, wrapping an arm around the younger’s waist as they walk out the building.

“Shut up, Baekhyun.”

“Why? You love me, right?”

“No.” _Yes._

“You actually really really like me, Kyungsoo.”

“Keep telling yourself that.” _You have no fucking idea._

They part ways when Baekhyun’s phone vibrates, causing him to halt and frown briefly at his screen, sighing as he looks up at Kyungsoo, and it really makes the younger’s heart ache, who already knows  the identity of the the sender, even without asking.

_Sejeong._

_Again._

“I have to go, Soo, talk to you later,” Baekhyun mumbles, his forehead creasing as he starts walking the way they came, back into the school building.

Kyungsoo bites his lip as he watches Baekhyun’s back, he’s frozen in his spot, and his mouth acts before his brain can catch up to him.

“Baekhyun, wait!” He calls out, hands hollowed around his mouth.

Baekhyun pauses, and slowly turns around. His face is unreadable, but from where Kyungsoo’s standing, he sees a pensive and almost desperate frown in his best friend’s face.

_Please. Don’t go._

He almost screams many different variations of ‘I love you’, but chooses to yell out “Text me when you get home, okay?”

And Baekhyun smiles, nodding in affirmation before sprinting back to campus and farther away from Kyungsoo.

 

Exhibit C:

Here’s the thing. For who knows why, Kyungsoo discovers on Monday morning that he apparently is a part of the Campus Heartthrob Circle of Cuties or whatever that is, which basically means that a significant part of the school body finds him to be aesthetically pleasing, or as the school newspaper’s article mentions, “completely adorable, whether he intends to or not, his violent tendencies only adding to his irresistible charm,” which is a load of crap, honestly.

 Baekhyun is also in the list, having been referred to as “cute and absolutely hot, with the friendly personality that draws you to his lair of sexiness," and Kyungsoo finds himself snorting so loudly with Chanyeol about it during lunch break. Baekhyun only dismisses them with a flick of his hand, muttering an annoyed “just jealous that you’re not cute and absolutely hot,” to which Kyungsoo responds by throwing his sandwich at the groaning Baekhyun’s face.

The joys of that day were short lived, however, when both of them, along with Chanyeol and the rest of the “Cuties” were summoned by the student council after classes.

“We’re holding out a fundraising event next week, for the victims of typhoon Yehet” the student council president, Yoonjo says. “It’s in partnership with Baskin and Robbins, and they’ll bring out some inflatable water park facilities to campus, which will be available for all for a small price. However, we need to boost up the ad campaign for it, which is why I’m asking you all if you could extend a hand for the project launch in a few days. You don’t need to do much, your faces are enough to gather attention anyway,” she assures.

“So, Baskin and Robbins, like the Ice cream?” Kyungsoo murmurs, to which Baekhyun guffaws loudly, earning them a few glares from the student council members.

“Of everything she just said, that’s what stuck to you? Ice cream?”

“Well, I’m hungry,” Kyungsoo answers, shrugging. “Can you blame me?”

Baekhyun only smiles at him, his eyes forming that _annoying_ shape again, like half moons.

“You’re dumb.”

“Look who’s talking.”

“Shut up, Baekhyun.”

“Why don’t you make me?”

They both snap out of their own little bubble when Yoonjo clears her throat. Apparently, her speech is over, and now, they’re handing out the list of volunteers for those willing to sign up for the event.

The favor was simple enough, the ‘cuties’ just had to be the first ones to use the inflatable facilities, to draw in the crowd and encourage them to take part. Some of their activities will be recorded by video too, to be used as promotions. The good thing is, they’ll be given ice cream as they play around, to which, according to Baekhyun, is the best part of the situation.

It’s not such a big deal for Kyungsoo, whether he joins or not, he only knows that if Baekhyun decides to sign up, he will, too.

“Are we going?” Baekhyun whispers, resting his chin on Kyungsoo’s shoulder as they both watch Jongin, a junior scribble his name to the sheet.

“Do you want to?” He replies, turning slightly to spare the blonde haired boy a glance.

“Sure, if you’re going, I am too,” Baekhyun yawns, and Kyungsoo’s hand goes to autopilot, lifting up to ruffle the blonde locks hair slightly. Baekhyun preens at the touch, yipping out small contented noises, and  _god, why is he so adorable, someone grab a gun and shoot me right now_ , Kyungsoo’s internal drama queen screams.

“Then it’s settled. We’re going.”

 

It’s D-Day, and Kyungsoo taps his foot idly as he sits on a bench, humming to some CNBLUE song as he awaits further instructions from the student council, who are busy running to and fro in preparation for the launch of the gargantuan slide and pool that’s being pumped and tested into perfection.

 _It’s amazing really,_ Kyungsoo thinks, how the campus parking lot has magically transformed into some summer getaway place in a matter of hours.

He checks his phone, but there’s no text from Baekhyun, other than his spam early this morning, as a response to Kyungsoo’s reminder to wake up.

 _Soo! Wear your blue shorts today, okay?_ , the message reads.

Kyungsoo is indeed wearing the royal blue shorts that Baekhyun got him a few weeks ago, as an apology for the pair he ripped accidentally when he came over. He’s also wearing  a simple striped shirt, one he finds easy to wash, and a bit comfortable, even after he gets wet.

Not long after, the rest of the volunteers start showing up, and Kyungsoo chats with Chanyeol for a while, laughing at some lame pun, when a familiar figure catches his eye, skipping along the pavement and heading his way.

Baekhyun looks adorable in a small straw hat, a plain white shirt, and an unbuttoned plaid button down, but what really gets Kyungsoo’s attention is the baby blue pair of shorts that enter his line of sight. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that it’s the same as his own, only shades lighter. To top it off, Baekhyun is also sporting crocs, just like Kyungsoo. How Baekhyun managed to obtain a similar pair and wear it on the very same day is a mystery.

“Wearing couple outfits now, huh?” Chanyeol nudges, a bright and teasing smile on his annoying face.

Even Junmyeon, a senior, chuckles when Baekhyun gets closer, muttering something about ‘young sweet love’, and Kyungsoo wants to melt to the floor.

“Kyungsoooooo!” Baekhyun singsongs, propping himself right beside Kyungsoo, who tries to shake the flush from his face.

“You didn’t tell me you had the same pair of shorts,” Kyungsoo greets, tugging lightly at the locks of hair sticking out from Baekhyun’s obnoxious little hat.

“Of course! I wanted it to be a surprise,” the latter responds, giving a bright smile that lifts even up to his eyes, and he just looks so happy that Kyungsoo doesn’t press on, and smiles back just as widely.

 

Kyungsoo tips his head back, taking a sip from his water bottle as he stands by the slide, taking a break. He’s almost soaked halfway, but it’s not bad, even if he was self- conscious at first, with people starting to flock around the slides and coo at him. The best thing is that Kyungsoo started to actually have fun, even if he slips about twice, running away from Baekhyun, who seems to be keen in getting him completely drenched. The student council is pleased as well, managing to shoot quite a lot o footage for the fundraiser.

It was in this moment that he creates a big mistake – letting his guard down. He passes by a group of volunteers having a lively conversation, not noticing that Baekhyun was among them, and immediately, he finds himself splashed….right in the face. Baekhyun, the menace, used his foot to kick water at him.  The worst thing is, Kyungsoo had his lips parted, and accidentally got water into his mouth.

Kyungsoo drops the ice cream cone he’s holding, and runs. The older, unfortunately, was two steps ahead of him, and figured out his murderous intent. Baekhyun’s booming laughter is all he hears as he speeds in pursuit of his idiotic best friend. It takes a while, since Baekhyun is clearly enjoying the thrill of being chased, but he finally manages to capture the other, grip tight as he pinches Baekhyun’s nape, where the blonde boy is weakest.

“Owww, Sooo!” Baekhyun whines, but it comes out like a breathy laugh.

They’re both panting as they make their way back to the rest, and it must be the adrenalin rocketing through his system, or Baekhyun’s beautiful eyesmile, but Kyungsoo can’t stop looking at the other, and before he knows it, they’ve stopped walking halfway.

“What is it, Soo?,” Baekhyun rasps out, still too breathless.

“What?”

“You look like you want to do something,” The grinning blonde smiles.

In that moment, caution seemed like a nonexistent concept, and Kyungsoo takes a step forward so they’re eye to eye, and his gaze is sharp, flickering back and forth between the crescent smiling eyes, and the inviting lips before him.

If there’s a word more extreme than want, then that’s exactly what Kyungsoo feels at the moment.

They stay that way for a while, till both are pulled back by a low voice and a wide grin.

“There you are! The president is calling everyone up, we’re done for today,” Chanyeol explains, but neither Kyungsoo nor Baekhyun are paying attention.

The moment he’s in dry clothes and decent, Kyungsoo storms out of the venue, pretending not to hear the hollers and shouts of his name.

He can’t face Baekhyun now.

Not after what almost happened. 

 

 

 

And so here he is, blinking up at his ceiling, regretting everything.

“I should avoid him.”

Kyungsoo has come to the conclusion that as long as Baekhyun hangs around him, the impulse he feels will only get stronger, as he realizes just how much he loves his best friend. Before he totally destroys their friendship, he has to step back, and respect Baekhyun’s relationship. Not only that, but he doesn’t even know if Baekhyun likes guys, so he should calm his raging hormones and leave his best friend alone. That’s what best friends do, not attempt to kiss their best friends numerous times.

He has to find a way to get over Baekhyun, and he has to do it _fast_.

 

It’s almost 11 in the evening, when Kyungsoo’s phone rings. The rain has progressed into a raging thunderstorm, and the harsh weather makes him feel cold.

“H-hello?” He asks, too sleepy to function.

“Soo…”

Baekhyun’s voice makes the younger jolt up straight, his pulse escalating into overdrive.

“Baek? Why are you still up, you’ve got a 7:00 am class tomorrow, idio-“

“I’m outside your house.”

Sure enough, when Kyungsoo swings his front door open, he’s met with a fully drenched Byun Baekhyun.

The droopy eyed boy says nothing, only stepping running straight to Kyungsoo’s chest, burying his head in the crook of the younger’s neck.

“Fuck, you’re freezing. What were you thinking, walking outdoors in this storm?”

Baekhyun only lets out choked sob, and Kyungsoo takes the hint, and wraps an arm around his best friend’s waist, guiding him inside, and shutting the door.

Only when Baekhyun’s in his clean and dry shirt and rubbing a towel up his hair does the blonde haired boy speak.

“We..broke up, Soo. Sejeong and I are over. ”

Kyungsoo’s eyes widen and his jaw drops.

_Oh my god._


	3. You Endear Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for this mess!

_“We..broke up, Soo. Sejeong and I are over. ”_  
  
Words fell like a dagger, piercing every fiber of Do Kyungsoo’s being.  
  
He eyes his best friend, his beloved, so frail and helpless, as tears shed down from his face. Seeing the man he loves so soullessly broken made Kyungsoo’s insides twist in the most unpleasant way. It makes him feel like he’s stepped on thousands of shattered glass, where every single step deeply wounds and scars.  
  
“We met this afternoon and had another big fight. It was turning into a mess of… of…so much hate,” he sniffles, sounding so empty that the younger couldn’t bear another word and wrapped Baekhyun into a fierce embrace, trying to convey what his words simply can’t say.  
  
_You don’t deserve this._

  
  
“I… I just had to do something, Soo, end it before it gets worse” he sobs, pressing closer and burying his face on Kyungsoo’s shoulder.  
  
“No one can blame you, Baek,” Kyungsoo whispers, caressing Baekhyun’s back tenderly. “You did everything you could to make things work, but she just didn’t see your worth. What matters is that you gave your best.”  
  
They spend the night like that, lying in each other’s warm embrace, as Kyungsoo keeps wiping every single tear that streams out of Baekhyun’s puffy eyes. Before they know it, sleep has overcome them, and the warm comfort of the moment sends them to their dreams.  
  
  
Inconveniently, Kyungsoo’s ingenious plan of avoiding Baekhyun gets postponed in favor of supporting him as the elder tries to bounce back from the heartache. They are more attached now than ever, it seems. Kyungsoo finds himself joining Baekhyun on his way to every class, both avoid the Arts building, rerouting their path towards other areas, in order to prevent unnecessary confrontation. Baekhyun gradually opens up, telling his best friend all about how shaky the relationship has been, right from the very start.  
  
Where Baekhyun wanted to dedicate time to make himself better, Sejeong only saw the lack of time together. When Baekhyun fails to reply to texts, Sejeong withdraws herself from Baekhyun’s life, blocking him and refusing to talk, till he’s begging for forgiveness. Everything Baekhyun did wasn’t enough, and before they knew it, they were all just waiting for lightning to strike.  
  
“It’s like, we don’t understand each other at all,” Baekhyun says over lunch, munching on a handful of strawberries Kyungsoo bought him.  
  
“Maybe it’s for the better,” Chanyeol hums, patting the blonde softly as he takes a seat beside Baekhyun.  
  
“Right, Soo? Baekhyun deserves someone better,” the tall boy adds, now facing Kyungsoo. This time,  he’s sporting a smile too wide for Kyungsoo’s liking. “Someone who understands Baekhyun very, very well.”  
  
What the actual f-  
  
He says nothing, only staring back at the tall junior incredulously.  
  
“I don’t think I’d be dating again anytime soon,” Baekhyun huffs, oblivious to the staring competition that’s happening right beside him, as he glances ruefully at his now empty strawberry container.  
  
Kyungsoo’s eyes widen, zeroing at the blonde boy as he schools his expression to an appropriate uninterested one.  
  
Chanyeol smirks knowingly at Kyungsoo, before flitting his eyes back at Baekhyun with raised eyebrows.

  
  
“You could be missing out, though,” the giant says, picking on his sandwich slowly.  
  
“Please,” Baekhyun snorts. “As if anyone would be wanting me at this point.”  
  
Everything freezes.  
  
Kyungsoo chokes on his burger, slamming a fist to his chest in a desperate attempt to not die.  
  
Death by asphyxiation caused by a barely cooked burger patty seems like a lousy way to leave the mortal world, even by Kyungsoo’s standards.  
  
Chanyeol’s cheeks are burning from exertion, restraining himself from laughing hysterically, and Kyungsoo wants nothing more than to shove the table napkin he’s holding inside the idiot’s mouth and hopefully choke him to death with it.  
  
Baekhyun, however, is quick to rush beside his best friend, patting Kyungsoo’s back and murmuring worried questions at him, to which Kyungsoo tries to brush off with a weak smile.  
  
Kyungsoo is in so much trouble. Also, Chanyeol is officially on his hit list.  
  
  
  
Kyungsoo decides to confront Sejeong about the incident, approaching her after the Humanities class they shared together on Thursday morning.  
  
“Hey, Sejeong,” he greets, catching up to the brown haired girl as she pulls a book from her locker.  
  
“Oh? It’s you, Kyungsoo sunbaenim,” she gives a small sad smile.  
  
“Are you busy? I was hoping I could have a word with you.”  
  
Her eyebrows furrow, like she knew this would happen, and she shakes her head slightly, explaining that she only has a part-time job to attend to in the late afternoon, but is otherwise vacant for the day.  
  
They agreed to chat at the café beside campus, convenient for Kyungsoo, who still had two classes for the day. After the perfunctory pleasantries, and ‘how-are-you’s’, Kyungsoo decides to dive straight to the point.  
  
“You may know already, why I came to you,” he says, placing down his iced Americano and facing the woman before him with utmost seriousness.  
  
“Yes, sunbae,” she nods.  
  
“I know you and Baek had many hardships, and you felt like he wasn’t giving his all to your relationship. I understand that, but I just wish you were more understanding of his situation. He tried so much for you, you know? He has a lot on his plate, his classes are keeping him occupied, and yet, he tries to make time for you. ”  
  
Sejeong just stares, eyes wide and lips parted. She looks…lost, but Kyungsoo is far from done.  
  
“Now, I know he isn’t perfect. Byun Baekhyun has many faults, but for you, he really made some effort, which, considering how much of a slob he is, is saying something. He tried to give you more, but all you saw were his shortcomings and the things he did wrong, and seeing him so devastated made me so mad that I couldn’t stop myself from talking to you, even when he specifically told me not to. How could you do that to him?!”  
  
Kyungsoo’s knuckles are pale from balling his fists in frustration. He looks at his companion, seeking for any signs of guilt, remorse, anything.  
  
Sejeong speaks after a beat of silence, her hands folded neatly on the wooden table.  
  
“Oppa,” she begins, tone laced with sadness. “He was the one who broke up with me, you know this. And I understand why you’re mad, but I suffered too. for so long, I just waited for a text, a call, anything from him. I let it pass once, twice, thrice, so many times. I just wanted him to spend more time with me, oppa.  But it doesn’t happen, and I’d brush it aside, but then I find out from my classmates that he’s simply hanging out…with you. He talks to you a lot, but couldn’t even come meet me?”  
  
Kyungsoo is rendered speechless. There are so many things Kyungsoo wanted to say, in that very moment.  
  
_What do you want? Do you want Baekhyun not to study? Eat? Sleep? Is his only duty in life to be with you during all 24 hours of each day?!_  
  
_I can’t believe I let him suffer, by allowing him to be with someone as ungrateful as you._  
  
_Your selfishness disgusts me._  
  
_You don’t deserve him._  
  
He’s unquestionably furious, but in that moment, Baekhyun’s smiling face comes to his thoughts.  
  
The raven-haired boy simply stands, thanking Sejeong for her time, and walks out the vicinity.  
  
He’s had enough.

  
  
  
Kyungsoo’s next class is Physics, which he takes along with Chanyeol, Jongdae, and Baekhyun. He sees the trio huddled over Jongdae’s phone, watching some lame video or something. He doesn’t spare them another glance, opting to take a seat at the very end of the room, right beside the window.  
  
He’s too emotionally drained to function.  
  
“Soo?” He feels a poke to his side, not even thirty seconds after.  
  
“Do Kyungsoo?” Another poke.  
  
“Soooo, what’s wrong?” This time, he feels a sharp pinch to his abdomen, making him raise his head from the desk and glare at the idiotic crescent eyed attractive male.  
  
Baekhyun looks pleased that he finally got his best friend’s attention, looking all smug and annoyingly cute in his red beanie, and very loud Supreme hoodie.  
  
“Stop bothering me, Byun,” he growls, before plopping his face back at the wooden surface.  
  
Baekhyun leaves him alone for the rest of the class, and somehow, catching the boy’s worried gazes every so often does nothing to ease the knot Kyungsoo feels in the pit of his stomach.  
  
  
After the lunch bell rings, Kyungsoo gathers his things and attempts to leave, only to be pulled aside by his best friend, who’s unsurprisingly wearing a frown.  
  
“What’s wrong? You either tell me or you tell me, Soo. I’m not okay seeing you like this,” the blonde haired boy growls, arm firmly clasped around Kyungsoo’s wrist.  
  
They settle on an isolated lunch table, far from any prying eyes, and Kyungsoo rests his head on his arms, sighing deeply, the moment they sit down.  
  
“Soo,” Baekhyun whines, ruffling the silent boy’s raven hair.  
  
“I talked to her,” Kyungsoo whispers, staring off into nothing.  
  
Baekhyun’s hand freezes and Kyungsoo lifts his head, propping it on his hand instead, as he glances at the other’s bewildered expression.  
  
“I didn’t say anything bad, don’t worry. I almost did, but I thought of you, and how you wouldn’t want me to be mean to her, so I stopped myself.”  
  
Baekhyun’s staring at him with an unreadable expression like he’s searching Kyungsoo’s face for something, and it always has that effect on the boy, making him want to curl into a ball and hide or run into Baekhyun’s arms.  
  
“What..did you say?” Baekhyun mumbles, eyebrows furrowing.  
  
“I just told her how hard you tried to make an effort for her,” Kyungsoo gulps, averting his eyes from the boy in front of him. “I also told her that you deserve better because you do.”  
  
Kyungsoo’s still looking out the window when a sudden warmth envelops him, making him jump a little in surprise.  
  
He’s got an armful of Baekhyun lunging at him, with long arms around him and blonde locks of hair pressed against his chest. The younger boy hopes his heart isn’t hammering as loudly as he feels because he might combust with fondness and die from too many butterflies in his stomach.  
  
“Thank you, Soo,” Baekhyun mutters against his shirt, and Kyungsoo smiles.  
  
“No need to thank me, idiot.This is me being a charitable best friend.”  
  
The droopy-eyed boy looks up at him, a pout on his adorable lips as he protests.  “But… but..”  
  
Kyungsoo is having none of it, and covers Baekhyun’s mouth with his hand, shaking his head with a resolute grin. “No more rubbish from you, dumb puppy.”  
  
Baekhyun’s eyes twinkle, and before Kyungsoo knows it, he’s shrieking like crazy.  
  
“YAAAAAAH! You bit me!”  
  
Baekhyun is already running away, a toothy grin plastered on his face as he looks back at Kyungsoo, beckoning the younger to chase after him.  
  
“That’s what puppies do, Soo. They bite!”  
  
  
The next few days pass by, and Kyungsoo feels like he’s floating up in the clouds. Baekhyun is progressively becoming more like his old cheerful self, smiling and bravely walking around campus with his head held high. However, it’s like something has changed too, but the doe-eyed boy can’t put his finger on what it is, exactly. For one, he knows that Baekhyun is a lot more clingy than before, whining loudly when Kyungsoo does as much as choose a seat that’s not beside him in class. The puppy-like boy has also developed the habit of holding Kyungsoo’s hand around campus, and the younger can’t help but feel a flush creep down his neck, whenever they catch the gaze of someone they know, like Park Chanyeol, who just whistled at the sight of their joined hands.  
  
They’re on their way to their club practice now, and Kyungsoo gently tugs at his arm, trying to retrieve it from Baekhyun’s iron grip, but the other only looks at him with a raised eyebrow and intertwines their fingers further. Kyungsoo relents, biting his lip and following his best friend down the hall, not failing to notice the passing glances they receive from other students.  
  
“Baek,” he hisses, trying to keep his tone calm. “People are staring at us.”  
  
“Oh, you mean my fangirls? Just let them be, Soo,” Baekhyun smiles.  
  
“Fangirls my ass! As far as I’m concerned, you only have one fangirl, Byun. Your mom,” he spits back.  
  
“Is that so?” Baekhyun chuckles, and Kyungsoo is deeply annoyed, because why is his best friend attractive when he smiles like that? What in the fresh hell?  
  
Kyungsoo hums thoughtfully before another thought comes to him. “Make that two,” he mumbles.  
  
The elder glances at him, cocking his head to the side. “And who might the second one be, you?”  
  
Kyungsoo gawks for about two seconds, before stepping on his best friend’s foot, yanking his hand back and power walking ahead and screaming “No, fuck you! I’m a boy!”  
  
He doesn’t get far, though, because Baekhyun’s hand is back on his, a small smile on his lips. “If you’re talking about Sejeong, I don’t think she’s a fan of mine anymore, Soo,” the elder says, and the light tone makes Kyungsoo look up.  
  
When they finally find their seats in the crowded room, Baekhyun spares Kyungsoo a look, and the younger boy meets his gaze, eyebrows raised.  
  
“I don’t care about those fangirls, Soo, for the record.” He beams, and Kyungsoo is puzzled.  
  
“All I care about is one person,” Baekhyun mumbles, and his gaze lingers down Kyungsoo’s face.  
  
_And who would that be?_   Kyungsoo wants to ask, but he’s afraid of the way Baekhyun’s staring at him.  He knows that look all too well because it’s the same one he gives Baekhyun when the older isn’t looking.

  
This little game of theirs continues further as they keep spending time together. Baekhyun pushes and Kyungsoo pulls, though none of them ever pause to ask in which direction they're heading, and why they seem to be spiraling into something so dangerously akin to affection.  
  

  
It all changes on the night they decide to take a walk.  
  
The sound of the swings squeaking as they move back and forth assaults Kyungsoo’s ears as he sways along with the chains of the structure, hunched over his phone. Baekhyun is to meet him after the older boy finishes his errands at home, and Kyungsoo has already been waiting for 30 minutes. It’s already late in the evening, and he’s worried that Baekhyun got lost like he usually does when his phone vibrates.  
  
  
               

**From: dickbutt**

SOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

**To: dickbutt**

What? I’m here already, get your ass here.

 

                **From: dickbutt**

                SOOOOO! SOOOOOOO! SOOOOO!

 

**To: dickbutt**

WHAT DO YOU WANT.

 

                **From dickbutt**

                I WANT YOU to love me.

  
  
  
  
_What on earth is this?!_ , Kyungsoo glares at the small screen, heart rate picking up steadily as he reads his best friend’s message. Over and over again, the frazzled college student has to remind himself that Baekhyun is and has always been a natural flirt, and saccharine words have always played their part in their friendship, but he can’t help but get flustered whenever the other says something that leaves him speechless.  
  
  
The sounds of sneaker scruffing against the dirt make him look up, and his pulse practically skyrockets through the roof. Baekhyun’s wearing a long-sleeved grey sweater, ripped jeans, and a white pair of Vans and nothing should be special about his usual getup, but the blonde boy looks so good and it’s just so unfair to Kyungsoo’s poor heart.  
  
  
“Have you been waiting long?” Baekhyun smiles, offering a hand to help Kyungsoo stand.  
  
“Yeah, thirty minutes, you asshat,” the younger boy replies, and his companion chuckles, joining their fingers together. Kyungsoo internally screams at the touch, with Baekhyun’s thumb rubbing circles around his knuckle and looking too much like a boyfriend, but the latter doesn’t seem to notice, too busy talking about how his mom made him clean the bathroom before allowing him to leave.  
  
They take a stroll along the park, enjoying the various holiday decorations that adorn the place. They’ve taken this walk so many times, and Kyungsoo has the path ingrained in his brain.  Once they make it across the gardens towards an old oak tree, Kyungsoo shudders as a gust of wind passes him, causing him to shift closer to his best friend. What he does not expect is Baekhyun’s arm finding its place around his waist, making him look up to watch the blonde boy’s face in bewilderment. He’s being pulled closer, and before he knows it, the gap between them ceases to almost nothing. There they stood, before a tree that has been around since before they were born, one that they’ve learned to climb back in grade school, used as a shade and hideout for when they skipped classes in high school, and now feels like a good moment for Kyungsoo to ask why the beautiful boy in front of him has been making him feel progressively more doomed in life.  
  
He turns to face Baekhyun, stepping aside and marveling at how bright his best friend’s face is, under the small lights that adorn the tree. Maybe, Kyungsoo surmises, if he’s honest with his feelings for once, something may change between them, and maybe, Baekhyun wouldn’t mind it if his best friend continued to love him.  
  
Before anything passes his lips, however, Baekhyun decides to speak first.  
  
“Do you remember when you said you plan to make me miserable for the rest of our lives?”  
  
Kyungsoo smiles, nodding. “Freshman year, right?  
  
“Yeah,” Baekhyun hums, and there’s a certain softness in his features that makes Kyungsoo think that the conversation is steering towards something serious, making him furrow his eyebrows in worry.  
  
“Do you remember when I said I want to marry you?”  
  
Now, Kyungsoo is just puzzled. He remembers that particular moment, and how he rejected the idea in favor of calming his raging heart from imagining being domestic with Baekhyun.  
  
“Do you remember when I said I don’t think I’ll be dating anytime soon?” This time, Baekhyun takes a step opposite him, and Kyungsoo is torn between taking a step back and raising his fist, in case the elder is planning a prank on him.  
  
“Why are you asking me these, Byun-“ He begins, but is cut off when his best friend inches even closer, crowding into Kyungsoo’s space in a way that’s so infuriatingly _Baekhyun_.  
  
“Kyungsoo,” Baekhyun whispers as he takes both of the smaller boy’s hands on his own.  
  
Kyungsoo just looks up, trying to read through the pink cheeks, quivering lips, and bright embers in Baekhyun’s gaze, and for once, he decides to make a move.  
  
“What do you want, Baek?” He rasps out, heart hammering frantically and voice cracking out of sheer nervousness.  
  
“I already said it, I want you to love me,” Baekhyun mumbles, bringing their joined hands to his face, nuzzling his cheek against Kyungsoo’s warm palm.  
  
All the events from the past weeks have started filling Kyungsoo. How Baekhyun has been seeking him actively, among everyone else. How it’s always Kyungsoo that Baekhyun always chooses, even when he has so many people to spend with. For so long, it’s been Baekhyun with a limb hanging off the smaller, quiet student. Even before the breakup with Sejeong, even before anyone else, and even after everyone else, it’s always been the two of them, eyes locked into each other and an unspoken truth hanging above them.  
  
_Maybe_ , Kyungsoo thinks, his idiot has always been fighting the same battle as him all along.  
  
Maybe it’s time to surrender.  
  
  
Kyungsoo rushes towards the other boy, throwing his arms around Baekhyun’s small, sturdy figure and buries himself in the blonde boy’s chest.  
  
“I already do,” he mumbles, voice muffled by the sweater, but heard nonetheless, if the way Baekhyun gasps is any indication.  
  
“Do you mean-“ Baekhyun stumbles to find the right words, and Kyungsoo smiles. He pulls away slowly but keeps his arms loosely hanging over the other’s waist.  
  
“ I mean I’ve been in love with you since forever, idiot.”  
  
That must’ve flicked a switch in Baekhyun’s brain for he mashes their lips together instantly, and it’s awkward and nerve-wracking as any first kiss, but eventually, they find a pace that suits them both perfectly. As expected, Baekhyun clings to the smaller boy with all his might, and this time he doesn’t ever let go.  
  
  
  
  
  
“All this time,” Baekhyun mutters, as they make their way to the usual takoyaki stop hand in hand with his best friend and now boyfriend. “I’ve been punishing myself for liking someone I shouldn’t and all of it would’ve been avoided if  you ever told me how you felt.” He’s frowning now, and Kyungsoo can’t believe he gets to kiss those lips now. He’s allowed to touch Baekhyun all he wants.  
  
“It’s because I thought you were straight,” Kyungsoo laughs, flicking his cute boyfriend’s forehead when the other pouts.  
  
“I don’t think anyone straight would ask their male best friend to marry them every other week, Kyungsoo,” Baekhyun whines.  
  
“Well, you’re not exactly _anyone_ , are you?”  
  
“Who am I, then? A handsome someone?”  
  
“An idiot.”  
  
“YAH! Do Kyungsoo!”  
  
“You’re my idiot, though.”

 

  
Unbeknownst to them, a group of people on the same Takoyaki booth have started clapping loudly around them.  
  
"Finally, geez. It took them forever," Junmyeon comments.  
  
"True, now they can finally stop drooling over each other secretly," Chanyeol snorts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's finally done. This is for jyusiaa who's being stressed by her exams.  
> For anyone out there who thinks their best friend is infuriating af, this one is for you.
> 
> THIS WAS A MESS I'M SO SORRY!
> 
> Also, there's an epilogue. Surprise?


	4. EPILOGUE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyungsoo sings a song for Baekhyun.

Everywhere Do Kyungsoo looks, he sees the brightness of lights. There are strings of lights that adorn the hall in the garden, candles lit above the tables, gleaming rays twinkling on the glasses as people quiet down, turning their attention to _only_ him, standing on a stage. Above all these, he notices nothing more brighter than the smile that graces Baekhyun’s lips as he peers under his eyelashes, waiting.

“Good evening, everyone. I hope you’re all enjoying the night,” he starts, shuffling his shoes against the wooden surface as he beams up at his parents, proudly grinning at him from the front table.

“Once, there was a boy who sang his heart out for me. Now I’m here to return the favor.”

Kyungsoo steps forward, eyes locking with the only man in the room who can make his heart soar with just his crescent eyes.

“This song is for my best friend.”

 

 

Everything hurts. Kyungsoo curls on his side, not even bothering to sit up from where he fell. He knows he shouldn’t have underestimated the monkey bars and tried to imitate the big kids who swung through the steel bars easily. He’s very very dumb for even trying and now everything aches and the wound on his knee is bleeding quite terribly.

His self pity and silent sobs were rudely interrupted by a loud presence from behind him. He has to squint against the sunlight to see just who it is who found him in his most miserable state.

“Hey! Hey! Are you okay?” A _very_ loud voice says, and _oh,_ Kyungsoo realizes. That’s what the noise was, a kid yelling right before him.

“I am okay,” he says monotonously, still unable to see much more than a hazy silhouette and blonde locks of hair.

“Hey! You’re bleeding!” The kid yells again, and Kyungsoo wonders if each of his sentences need to be screamed out loud.

With the blonde kid’s assistance (he didn’t really help much, mostly yelling about how disgusting blood is), Kyungsoo was able to sit and rest against a nearby oak tree, while his new _self-proclaimed_ friend called out to their teacher for help.

“You have to come help my friend! He’s hurt!”

Kyungsoo tries not to smile as he hears the loud wailing getting nearer, along with  footsteps of people whom he assumes are grown-ups who can help. He hopes it’s Mr. Kim, the nicest teacher.

Before he knows it, he’s being scooped up into someone’s very strong arms and being lain on soft, soft sheets. Everything smells weird, too clean.

“Hang in there, little guy,” the nurse (Kyungsoo thinks he’s a nurse) says, cleaning up the mess of bruises and wounds on his legs. “I’m almost done.”

When Kyungsoo wakes up, he hears someone _trying_ to whisper, but still being _very_ loud.

“Is he okay, teacher? Is he dying? I don’t want him to die!” A small voice whisper-yells, making Kyungsoo blink and stare at his side, where his favorite teacher sits, along with a small blonde boy with droopy eyes.

“He’s not dying, Baekhyunnie. Kyungsoo is just resting,” Mr. Kim says gently, and when Kyungsoo turns to look at Baekhyunnie, he is surprised to see tears on the boy’s face.

“You’re awake! I am so so happy you didn’t die!” The blonde kid sobs, trying his best to wipe his giant tears with the back of his hand.

“I’m okay now, don’t worry,” Kyungsoo says, and finds himself smiling widely at the boy, patting the space beside him on the bed. “Come sit with me,” he beams.

The boy complies, and before he knows it, Kyungsoo has earned a new friend. He thinks he likes this one, even though he’s a little loud. Kyungsoo doesn’t mind much.

“We are going to be the bestest of friends!” Baekhyun giggles, wrapping his chubby arms around Kyungsoo’s smaller body.  

 

 

 

The sound of the piano starts to fill the place, and Kyungsoo spares his officemate, Yixing, a grateful glance as the brunette man’s fingers trail over the ebony keys. Kyungsoo closes his eyes, smiling as his story with Baekhyun flashes in an instant, a colorful montage of memories. With the strength it gives him, he opens his mouth and sings.

 

 _This life has twists and turns_  
But it's the sweetest mystery  
When you're with me  
We say a thousand words  
But no one else is listening  
I will be

 

“Do Kyungsoo, will you please be useful for once and help me score Yein’s number?”

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes, turning around to glare at Byun McLoser Baekhyun. Why this moron had to be his best friend is beyond him. “You won’t let me say no, will you?”

“Nah,” Baekhyun snorts, sliding next to him and taking his PSP out of his backpack and pressing the power button. “I want to take her to the school dance, Soo. She’s like… the third prettiest girl in the class. This means a lot to me.”

“Whatever,” Kyungsoo huffs, taking a left when they reach the end of the hallway and dragging his companion with him by his sleeve. “At least watch where you’re going, will you?”

“I don’t need to,” Baekhyun replies nonchalantly, eyes not leaving the screen as he furiously presses his way to victory. “I have you.”

  
 _Every night and every day_  
No matter what may come our way  
We're in this thing together  
The dark turns to light  
We both come alive, tonight  
I'm talking ‘bout forever

 

“Look,” Baekhyun says, crouching down to where Kyungsoo is hugging his knees, a crumpled piece of paper held stiff in his grip. The elder boy takes hold of the paper, throwing it aside and intertwining his fingers with the boy’s shaking ones.

“I know it’s terrifying, Soo. But just because _one_ university rejected you doesn’t mean you’ll never reach your dreams. You’re much more than a space in a classroom. You’re Do Kyungsoo, and I know you’re going to do great things, because you’re a great person.”

“But I’m a disappointment, Baek,” Kyungsoo bawls out, and his best friend is quick to wrap his arms around the crying boy.

“You are _not_ a disappointment. You never will be. I promise. We’ll find a university that sees your worth, and it’s going to be awesome.”

This gets Kyungsoo to calm down, a surge of warmth clinging to his chest and making him blink up at his closest friend and start thinking that _maybe this is what it feels like to have a soulmate._

“It will only be awesome if you’re there with me,” he whispers.

 

 _Never gonna let you go_  
Giving you my heart and soul  
I'll be right here with you for life  
Oh, baby all I wanna do  
Is spend my every second with you  
So look in my eyes  
I'll be by your side

 

“Take my hand, Baekhyun! Quick!”

Kyungsoo’s panting as he walks speedily, trying to find his way in the dark path and looking at his companion almost every second, just to make sure Baekhyun didn’t drop dead out of sheer fright.

“I hate this! I hate haunted houses! There are so much blood! Argh Why did we come here?!” Baekhyun manages to whine, voice muffled as he uses both his hands to cover his face completely.

“Can I just remind you that you volunteered to go because you wanted to impress the sorority girls on the cue behind us,” Kyungsoo deadpans, still offering his hand.

“Why didn’t you stop me, then? It’s a horrible idea! Completely terrible!”

With Baekhyun being mostly blind, their progress towards the exit keeps slowing down, and Kyungsoo fears that the evil clown chasing them will catch up soon enough and he may have to punch a poor carnival worker just to protect his idiot of a best friend.

“Baek,” Kyungsoo says, as he hears the clown’s laughter ring louder through the hallway. “We have to hurry. We’re almost there. I saw the exit sign a few meters back. But I need you to trust me.”

“He’s coming, he’s coming to get us-“ Baekhyun whimpers, and sure enough, Kyungsoo can see the mop of red hair and sinister eyes peeking from the very end of the corridor they came through.

He thinks it’s now or never and he steps closer to his best friend, keeping his eyes trained on the grinning figure that slowly approaches. “I won’t let him get to you, I promise. Now keep your eyes shut and take my hand. Don’t let go.”

“Why? What are we gonna do?” Baekhyun mumbles, _finally_ reaching for Kyungsoo’s hand.

“We’re going to run.”

 

 _The storms may come_  
And winds may blow  
I'll be your shelter for life  
This love, this love  
I mean it till the day I die

 

“Can you stop trying to strangle me for like, one second?” Kyungsoo groans, massaging his temple as he tries to keep his composure. It’s been a busy week in the office, with his boss tearing at his throat, and he would very much like to be able breathe freely, but the mess of limbs that wrap tightly over him makes it difficult to do so.

“But I missed you, you’ve been working overtime for three days, Soo,” the limbs  on his lap whine, and when the mess of blonde hair looks up, he sees his boyfriend’s frowning face. Immediately, all the irritation melts form Kyungsoo, and he snakes his arms around his lover, pressing soft kisses to Baekhyun’s hair.

“I know, I’m sorry. I’ll work harder so I won’t need to leave you alone for long,” he whispers.

“But what if you get tired of me, Soo? What if work makes you realize I’m too clingy?” Baekhyun says, eyes burrowing into Kyungsoo’s own and turning glassy _very_ quickly. He cups the pouting boy’s face, lifting it just so that they’re looking straight at each other, with nothing else in the way.

“I’ve been in love with you for so long, Byun Baekhyun. I don’t intend to stop loving you anytime soon.”

 

 _Oh, never gonna let you go_  
Giving you my heart and soul  
I'll be right here with you for life  
Oh, baby all I wanna do  
Is spend my every second with you  
So look in my eyes  
I'll be by your side

 

“Right here,” Kyungsoo says, propping himself down on one knee and staring up at a very bewildered Baekhyun. “Right here is where I want to be, with you. I want to be the first thing you see in the morning, and the last thought you have at night. I’ve been lucky enough to have you stick with me for years as a friend, a confidant, a boyfriend, and now, I’m finally brave enough to ask for more.”

He lifts the lid of the small velvet box, and Baekhyun melts.

“Byun Baekhyun, my best friend. You’ve been asking me this question for so long, and I think it’s my turn to ask it now. Will you marr-“

Kyungsoo never gets to finish his sentence, for he’s already being lifted and held so tightly, as if he’d fade away if Baekhyun lets go.

“Yes. Yes. Yes, You didn’t even have to ask, I’ll say yes to you any day,” Baekhyun cries, his eyes welling up as he buries his face into his lover’s neck, and Kyungsoo delights in kissing him till the tears go away, assuring his beloved that indeed, they’re stuck together for good.

 

 

Kyungsoo opens his eyes, and when he meets Baekhyun’s gaze, he smiles even wider. This isn’t a daydream, or a fantasy. This is real life, and in this mortal life of his, he gets to share every single moment with a person who cherishes him and accepts him for everything he is, everything he is not, and everything he ever hopes to be.

He looks down on his hand as it grips the microphone, a golden band shimmering on his finger, a reminder that he is bound for a new chapter, a new adventure.

And he’s not in it alone.

 

 _Yeah, look in my eyes_  
I'll be by your side  
For life

 

The melody fades. As everyone starts to applaud, Kyungsoo zones out, only keeping his attention on the man who rushes to his side immediately, pulling him into a gentle kiss. The man who, from this day forward, is not only his best friend, lover, partner and companion, but his _husband._

 

_fin._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you've reached this part, then I am truly grateful for your patience with the all that awful writing I've done.  
> Thank you for joining me and I hope you find a bestfriend as infuriating as Baeksoo.
> 
> Merry Christmas.


End file.
